1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor element having a function of detecting environmental information, and transmitting/displaying the information to the outside or adjusting environment based on the information, and methods of using this semiconductor element to acquire liquid information and discriminate a physical property change of a liquid.
Moreover, the present invention relates to an apparatus having a function of detecting ink tank inside information (e.g., ink residual amount, pressure, and the like), and transmitting/displaying the information to the outside, an apparatus having a function of adjusting environment based on the information, an ink tank provided with the elements, and ink jet recording apparatuses with the ink tank detachably attachable thereto, such as a facsimile machine, printer and copying machine.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional ink jet recording apparatus for ejecting an ink via a plurality of jet nozzles disposed in a recording head, scanning a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon with respect to a sheet, and forming an image in a dot pattern, an ink tank with the recording ink contained therein is disposed, and the ink of the ink tank is supplied to the recording head via an ink supply path. Here, an ink residual amount detection apparatus for detecting a residual amount of the ink of the ink tank is brought to practical use, and various proposals have been presented.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-143607 includes two (pair) of electrodes 702 disposed on an inner bottom surface of an ink tank 701 filled with a nonconductive ink, and a float member 703 floating on an ink surface in the ink tank 701. Two electrodes 702 are connected to a detector (not shown) for detecting a conductive state between the electrodes. Moreover, on the float member 703, an electrode 704 is disposed opposite to the electrode 702. When the ink in the ink tank 701 is consumed, a position of the float member 703 is lowered, and the electrode 704 contacts the electrodes 702. Then, the detector detects the conductive state between the electrodes 702. Thereby, it is detected that there is no ink in the ink tank 701, and an operation of an ink jet recording head 705 is stopped.
Moreover, according to Japanese Patent No. 2947245, an ink jet printer ink cartridge 805 is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 2, a lower portion of the cartridge is formed in a funnel shape toward a bottom surface thereof, two conductors 801, 802 are disposed on the bottom surface, and a metal ball 804 whose specific weight is smaller than that of an ink 803 is disposed in the cartridge. In this constitution, when the ink 803 is consumed and reduced, the liquid surface of the ink 803 is lowered. Accordingly, the position of the metal ball 804 floating on the surface of the ink 803 is lowered. When the liquid surface of the ink 803 is lowered to reach the bottom surface of an ink cartridge housing, the metal ball 804 contacts two conductors 801, 802. Then the conductors 801, 802 become conductive and a current flows therebetween. When the flowing current is detected, an ink end state can be detected. When the ink end state is detected, a user is notified of information indicating the ink end state.
In either one of the aforementioned constitutions, absence of the ink is detected by detecting whether or not there is conduction between the electrodes disposed in the ink tank. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose a detecting electrode in the ink tank. Additionally, while the ink exists in the ink tank, the current is prevented from flowing between the electrodes via the ink. Therefore, a metal ion cannot be used in an ink component, or another restriction is imposed on the ink for use.
Moreover, in the aforementioned constitution, only the presence/absence of the ink can be detected, and other tank inside information cannot be notified to the outside. For example, an ink residual amount, pressure information in the ink tank, ink physical property change, and the like are important parameters for constantly operating an ink jet head with a stable discharge amount. There is a demand for a tank by which an outside ink jet recording apparatus is notified of a tank inner pressure constantly changing with ink consumption in the tank in real time, or the change of the ink physical properties can be transmitted to the outside.
Furthermore, there is a demand for an ink tank by which the detected information in the ink tank is one-directionally transmitted to the outside, and additionally the inner information can bidirectionally be exchanged in response to a request from the outside.
In order to develop the aforementioned ink tank, the present inventor et al. have noted a ball semiconductor, manufactured by Ball Semiconductor Co., Ltd., for forming a semiconductor integrated circuit on a spherical surface of a silicon ball with a diameter of 1 mm. This ball semiconductor has a spherical shape. Therefore, when the semiconductor is contained in the ink tank, the detection of the environmental information and the bi-directional exchange of the information with the outside can expectedly efficiently be performed as a planar shape. However, when the semiconductor having such function is searched, only a technique of connecting the ball semiconductors with each other via an electric wiring, and the like are found (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,943). It is therefore necessary to develop an element itself which has the aforementioned function. Moreover, in order to effectively apply the element to the ink tank, there are some inherent problems.
First, a power for activating the element contained in the tank is supplied. When a power source for starting the element is disposed in the ink tank, the tank is enlarged in size. Even when the power source is disposed outside the tank, means for connecting the power source to the element is necessary. A tank manufacturing cost increases, a tank cartridge becomes expensive, and the element has to be started from the outside in a non-contact manner.
Secondly, the element sometimes has to float on the ink surface of the ink tank or in the ink at a given distance from the liquid surface. For example, in order to monitor a fluctuation of a negative pressure amount with time with the ink consumption in the ink tank, the element is preferably positioned on the ink surface. However, since the element is formed of silicon having a specific weight larger than that of water, it is generally difficult to float the element in the ink.
Thirdly, in a color printer, it is requested to individually and independently obtain respective ink tank inside information in response to an inquiry from the outside for respective color ink tanks and transmit the information.
Fourthly, in one mode of the tank for the ink jet head for practical use, a container is divided into a first chamber in which a porous or fibrous negative pressure generating member for generating a desired negative pressure with respect to the ink jet recording head is contained in an atmosphere connection state, and a second chamber in which a recording liquid is contained as it is. A connection path is disposed in a bottom portion of a wall for partitioning the first and second chambers in the container. This tank has a large ink storage amount and can advantageously stabilized the negative pressure with respect to the ink jet recording head as compared with a tank constituted only of the chamber in which the negative pressure generating member is contained. Therefore, there is a demand especially for an ink tank having a function such that the information such as the ink residual amount in the tank, ink physical property change, and inner pressure state can bidirectionally be exchanged with the outside in the aforementioned tank structured of two chambers.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid semiconductor element which can very efficiently detect information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchange the information with the outside.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a solid semiconductor element which detects detailed information in an ink tank in real time and can bidirectionally exchange the information with an outside ink jet recording apparatus, an ink tank provided with the semiconductor element, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the tank.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a method in which an ink state change (pH change, concentration change, density change) in the ink tank can be detected with time. Moreover, there is provided a method of indicating to the outside that the apparatus cannot be used in the head with the ink supplied thereto and limiting the use of the apparatus.
Furthermore, when the density change is detected, an ink viscosity and surface tension change amount can also be estimated. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a method of setting an optimum head driving condition and keeping a stable discharge property.
Additionally, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container provided with a solid semiconductor element in which liquid chemical physical properties information (pH change, concentration change, density change) and physical properties information (liquid viscosity, surface tension, negative pressure amount) are detected, detected information can bidirectionally be exchanged with the outside, and a tank inner state can be adjusted (negative pressure adjustment), and a liquid discharge recording apparatus provided with the liquid container.
To achieve the aforementioned objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a solid semiconductor element disposed in contact with a liquid, the element comprising:
information acquiring (communicating) means for acquiring liquid chemical property information including at least one of a hydrogen ion concentration index, a concentration, and a density of the liquid;
information transmission means for displaying or transmitting the information acquired by the information acquiring means to the outside; and
energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy of a type different from the type of the applied energy to operate the information acquiring means and the information transmission means.
The solid semiconductor element of the present invention is disposed in contact with the liquid as an object from which the information is to be acquired. In this state, the information acquiring means acquires the information about the liquid, and the information transmission means transmits the information to the outside. The energy for operating the information acquiring means and information transmission means is obtained by converting the energy from the outside to the different type of energy by the energy converting means. Since the solid semiconductor element has a function of acquiring the information about the liquid and transmitting the information to the outside in this manner, the information can three-dimensionally be acquired and transmitted. Therefore, as compared with use of a planar semiconductor element, since little restriction is imposed on a direction of acquirement and transmission of the information, the information about the liquid can efficiently be acquired and transmitted to the outside.
The element further comprises information storing means for storing information to be compared with the acquired information, and discrimination means for comparing the information stored in the information storing means with the information acquired by the information acquiring means to discriminate a need for transmission of the information to the outside. Therefore, the acquired information is transmitted to the outside if necessary. Furthermore, when receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside is added, the information is acquired in response to the received signal, a result of the comparison with the stored information is transmitted to the outside together with the acquired information, and the signal can bidirectionally be transmitted/received with respect to an outside apparatus.
Examples of the information about the liquid include a pH and pressure of the liquid, and particularly include a residual amount of the liquid in the container when the liquid is contained in the container. To obtain the liquid residual amount, the solid semiconductor element is preferably disposed to float on a liquid surface or in the liquid, and the constitution may also include a hollow portion.
The solid semiconductor element of the present invention is preferably used to obtain the information about a recording ink in a field of ink jet recording. The recording ink is generally contained in the ink tank. It is very important to obtain the information about the ink in the ink tank when a high-quality recording is performed.
Therefore, the ink tank of the present invention contains the ink to be supplied to a discharge head for discharging the ink, and the solid semiconductor element of the present invention is disposed to contact the ink. The number of solid semiconductor elements may be one or plural. When a plurality of solid semiconductor elements are disposed, the respective elements may acquire different information, or exchange the information with one another.
Moreover, according to the present invention there is provided an ink tank which contains an ink to be supplied to an ejection head for ejecting the ink, the ink tank comprising:
information acquiring means for acquiring ink chemical property information including at least one of a hydrogen ion concentration index, a concentration, and a density of the ink;
information transmission means for displaying or transmitting the information acquired by the information acquiring means to the outside; and
energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy of a type different from the type of the applied energy to operate the information acquiring means and the information transmission means.
An ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is provided with an ejection head for ejecting an ink, and the ink tank of the present invention in which the ink to be supplied to the ejection head is contained.
According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid change information acquiring method of using a solid semiconductor element disposed in contact with a liquid, the element comprising:
information acquiring means for acquiring information about the liquid;
information transmission means for displaying or transmitting the information acquired by the information acquiring means to the outside; and
energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy of a type different from the type of the applied energy to operate the information acquiring means and the information transmission means.
Furthermore, according to the present invention there is provided a liquid physical property change judging method of using a solid semiconductor element disposed in contact with a liquid, the element comprising:
information acquiring means for acquiring information about the liquid;
discrimination means for discriminating a liquid physical property change based on the information acquired by the information acquiring means and a pre-stored data table;
information transmission means for displaying or transmitting the information acquired by the discrimination means to the outside; and
energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy of a type different from the type of the applied energy to operate the information acquiring means, the discrimination means and the information transmission means.
According to the aforementioned method, the liquid physical property change can be detected with time. For example, when a disadvantage is possibly generated by the use, this is notified to the outside to restrict the use. Particularly for use in the ink tank, a viscosity and surface tension change amount of the ink as the liquid are estimated, and an optimum recording head driving condition can be set.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a discriminating method of acquiring information about a liquid with time, and estimating a change amount of the liquid from information indicating a change of the information about the liquid with time,
wherein abnormal change information about the liquid is discriminated.
For example, the amount of the ink contained in the ink tank usually linearly decreases with consumption, but rapidly increases because of replenishment, or an ink component changes. This can be judged as abnormal change information according to the method.
To achieve the aforementioned objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a solid semiconductor element comprising: receiving and energy converting means for receiving a signal of an electromagnetic wave from the outside in a non-contact manner, and converting the electromagnetic wave to a power by electromagnetic induction; information acquiring means for acquiring outside environmental information; information storing means for storing information to be compared with the information acquired by the information acquiring means; discrimination means for comparing the information acquired by the information acquiring means with the corresponding information stored in the information storing means to discriminate a need for information transmission when the signal of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving and energy converting means satisfies a predetermined response condition; and information transmission means for displaying or transmitting the information acquired by the information acquiring means to the outside when the discrimination means discriminates the need for the information transmission. The information acquiring means, the information storing means, the discrimination means, and the information transmission means are operated by the power converted by the receiving and energy converting means.
An electromagnetic induction frequency or a communication protocol can be applied as the response condition.
For the information transmission means, the power converted by the receiving and energy converting means is supposedly converted to a magnetic field, a light, a shape, a color, a radio wave, or a sound as the energy for displaying or transmitting the information to the outside.
The receiving and energy converting means having a conductor coil and oscillation circuit for generating the power with an outside resonance circuit by electromagnetic induction can be applied.
In this case, the conductor coil is formed to be wound around an outer surface of the solid semiconductor element.
Moreover, the element preferably comprises a hollow portion for floating the element on a liquid surface or in a predetermined position in the liquid. In this case, a gravity center of the solid semiconductor element floating in the liquid is positioned below a center of the element. The floating element preferably rocks stabily without rotating in the liquid. A metacenter of the solid semiconductor element is preferably constantly positioned above the gravity center of the solid semiconductor element.
Furthermore, according to the present invention there is provided an ink tank in which at least one of solid semiconductor element is disposed.
In this case, the response condition of the solid semiconductor element preferably differs with the ink in the tank. Concretely, the response condition of the solid semiconductor element differs with an ink color, a color material concentration, or a physical property in the ink tank.
Additionally, according to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus in which a plurality of ink tanks are disposed.
In this case, the ink jet recording apparatus preferably comprises communication means for transmitting/receiving an electromagnetic wave with respect to the solid semiconductor element in each ink tank. Furthermore, the communication means having a resonance circuit for emitting the electromagnetic wave can be applied.
Moreover, according to the present invention, there is provided a communication system in which a solid semiconductor element is used, comprising: a plurality of liquid containers in which the respective solid semiconductor elements are disposed; an oscillation circuit formed in the solid semiconductor element and provided with a conductor coil; information acquiring means for acquiring the information in the container; receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside; information transmission means for transmitting the information to the outside when a predetermined response condition is satisfied; an outside resonance circuit, disposed outside the plurality of liquid containers, for generating a power with respect to the oscillation circuit of the solid se miconductor element by electromagnetic induction; and outside communication means for bidirectionally communicating with the receiving means and the information transmission means of the solid semiconductor element.
In this case, the response condition allows the electromagnetic induction frequency or the communication protocol to differ with each container.
Furthermore, the gravity center of the solid semiconductor element floating in the liquid is positioned below the center of the element. The floating element preferably rocks stabily without rotating in the liquid. The metacenter of the solid semiconductor element is preferably constantly positioned above the gravity center of the solid semiconductor element.
As described above, when the signal of the electromagnetic wave is applied to the solid semiconductor element from the outside in the non-contact manner, the receiving and energy converting means converts the electromagnetic wave to the power, and the information acquiring means, discrimination means, information storing means, and information transmission means are started by the converted power. The discrimination means allows the information acquiring means to acquire element environmental information when the signal of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving and energy converting means satisfies the predetermined response condition, compares the acquired information with the corresponding information stored in the information storing means, and discriminates the need for information transmission. Moreover, when it is judged that the information transmission is necessary, the discrimination means allows the information transmission means to transmit the acquired information to the outside.
In this manner, since the solid semiconductor element has the communication function of acquiring the environmental information and transmitting the information to the outside only when the signal of the electromagnetic wave from the outside satisfies the predetermined response condition, the environmental information of the respective elements are independently acquired. Moreover, since the information can three-dimensionally be acquired/transmitted, the direction of the information transmission is little restricted as compared with the use of the planar semiconductor element. Therefore, the environmental information can efficiently be acquired and transmitted to the outside.
Moreover, since at least one solid semiconductor element is disposed in the ink tank, the information about the ink contained in the ink tank, pressure in the tank, and the like can be transmitted to the outside, for example, to the ink jet recording apparatus in real time. This is advantageous, for example, in stabilizing ink jet ejection by controlling the negative pressure amount in the tank, which changes with ink consumption every moment.
Particularly, for the plurality of ink tanks with the respective solid semiconductor elements disposed therein, only when the received electromagnetic wave signal satisfies the predetermined response condition, the information is acquired in response to the received signal, and a result of comparison/discrimination with the stored information is transmitted to the outside together with the acquired information. Therefore, when the response condition is changed for each tank, the information for the respective ink tanks can independently be obtained. Therefore, a user can replace the ink tank in which the ink is used up without mistake.
Furthermore, the power for operating the solid semiconductor element is supplied in the non-contact manner in the constitution. Therefore, it is unnecessary to dispose a power source for starting the element in the ink tank or to connect a power supplying wiring to the element. The constitution can be used in a place where it is difficult to dispose a wiring directly connected to the outside.
For example, when the conductor coil of the oscillation circuit is formed to be wound around the outer surface of the solid semiconductor element, the power is generated in the conductor coil by electromagnetic induction with respect to the outside resonance circuit, and the power can be supplied to the element in the non-contact manner.
In this case, since the coil is wound around the outer surface of the element, a size of inductance of the coil changes in accordance with an ink residual amount, ink concentration, and ink pH in the ink tank. Therefore, since an oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit is changed in accordance with the inductance change, the ink residual amount, and the like in the ink tank can also be detected based on the change of the oscillation frequency.
Moreover, since the solid semiconductor element has the hollow portion for floating in the liquid and the gravity center of the element is positioned below the center of the element, for example, the recording head and ink tank mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus serially operate. Even when the ink in the ink tank vertically and horizontally rocks, the element floats steadily in the ink in the ink tank, and the information about the ink, pressure in the tank, and the like can precisely be detected. Additionally, the coil of the oscillation circuit formed on the element is held in a stable position with respect to the coil of the outside resonance circuit, and stable bidirectional communication is also constantly enabled.
Moreover, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid container in which an ink to be supplied to a liquid ejection head for ejecting a liquid droplet is contained, the liquid container comprising: a first chamber which is partially connected to atmosphere and in which an absorber for absorbing a liquid is contained; a second chamber which is closed from the outside and in which the liquid is contained; a connection path, disposed in the vicinity of a bottom portion of the container, for connecting the first chamber to the second chamber; and a supply port which is disposed in the first chamber, and via which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejection head. First monitor means for monitoring a liquid amount of the first chamber is disposed in the first chamber. A flow rate adjustment apparatus for adjusting a flow rate of the connection path in accordance with information from the first monitor means is disposed in the connection path.
In this case, second monitor means for monitoring the liquid amount of the second chamber is disposed in the second chamber, and the flow rate adjustment apparatus is preferably controlled in accordance with the information from the second monitor means.
As the first monitor means, a first solid semiconductor element is preferably used which comprises: pressure detection means for detecting a pressure fluctuation of the liquid; information transmission means for transmitting pressure information obtained by the pressure detection means to the flow rate adjustment apparatus; and energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy different from the applied energy to operate the pressure detection means and the information transmission means. The solid semiconductor element requires no power wiring, and can freely be disposed in any position without being restricted.
Particularly, the first solid semiconductor element is preferably disposed above a liquid surface of the first chamber when a liquid supply to the first chamber from the second chamber is possibly interrupted, and in a position in which the fluctuation of the pressure can be detected. When the element is disposed in such position, the interruption of the liquid supply can be detected beforehand.
The flow rate adjustment apparatus is preferably a second solid semiconductor element which comprises: at least receiving means for receiving the pressure information from the first monitor means; an open/close valve which operates in response to the received pressure information; and energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy different from the applied energy to operate the receiving means and the open/close valve. Because no power wiring is required, and the element can be disposed even in a narrow position.
Moreover, the second monitor means is preferably a third solid semiconductor element which comprises: at least residual amount detection means for detecting a liquid residual amount; information transmission means for transmitting residual amount information obtained by the residual amount detection means to the flow rate adjustment apparatus; and energy converting means for converting an energy applied from the outside to an energy different from the applied energy to operate the residual amount detection means and the information transmission means. Because the element can be disposed without requiring any power wiring.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejection recording apparatus comprising: a liquid ejection head for ejecting a recording liquid droplet; and a liquid container in which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head is contained. In this case, the liquid ejection head preferably ejects the liquid droplet via a nozzle utilizing a film boiling caused when the heat energy is applied to the liquid. However, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned mode. In another mode of the liquid ejection head of the present invention, an electric signal is inputted to a thin film element, the thin film element is minutely displaced, and the liquid is ejected via the nozzle.
Additionally, the xe2x80x9cmetacenterxe2x80x9d described herein indicates an intersection of an action line of a balanced weight with an action line of a buoyancy during tilting.
Moreover, examples of a xe2x80x9csolid shapexe2x80x9d of the xe2x80x9csolid semiconductor elementxe2x80x9d include various cubical shapes such as a triangle pole, sphere, hemisphere, square pole, rotary ellipse, and uniaxial rotator.